Letters to Myself...

I originally wrote these two letters to myself a few years back on an instagram post. A lot has happened over the last few years so I thought I'd revisit them and update them. Here goes....

My 21 year old self

1. Relax. Slow down. Take a deep breath. Your life will unfold exactly the way it is meant to. You can’t rush it or wish it to you any quicker. It will be unique, full and worth the wait. Enjoy the process of getting there. Looking back on these years I certainly had fun, and enjoyed the process of discovering life. But, I also remember so much anxiety. Lots of 'am I good enough/pretty enough/smart enough/funny enough. Always comparing myself to others, and in my mind coming up woefully short. If I could go back I'd tell that 21 year old that she was all those things and so much more. Just let go and enjoy the ride.

2. Stop worrying about finding the ‘one’. You do, he is, and you will get your happy ever after for sure. And yes, there will be bumps and hurdles to overcome, but if he's the one (which you actually know he is) then those bumps will be opportunities for you both to grow.

3. Embrace your inner quirkiness. It’s all you! You are never going to be happy sitting in the box or colouring between the lines so don’t waste time trying. Trust me on this one. I always felt like the square peg in the round hole (and then some!), and I wasted so many years trying to fit in and be like everyone else - which of course I never managed because I was always meant to be me!

4. Stop perming your hair. You will get to 40 and it will go curly all on it’s own. Enjoy straight hair while you still can.

5. Look in the mirror and know you are beautiful. Not in the ‘conventional, glossy, magazine way’ (which is a load of ***p) but in the real sense. You care, you love, and you are fiercely protective of those who live in your heart. That is real beauty. Look in your eyes and own it.

6.Enjoy your parents while you still have them. Time really is fleeting and before you know it they will be getting to the end of their lives, and when they are gone you will be strangely without an anchor until you re-balance and steady yourself again. I'm secure in the fact I did spend loads of time with both my parents as an adult, but wish that I'd truly surrendered and soaked up every last moment with them because it really is never enough.

My present self....

1. Relax, slow down, take a deep breath!! Yes you are closer to the end of your story than you were 30 years ago, but time is infinite, and you still have more than enough left. There is a nagging fear in the back of your mind when you get to your 50s and beyond. The loss of parents solidifies your position as 'the next in line'. You step closer to the edge and are so much more aware of you own mortality than ever before. Its easy to let that fear take over. So, yes.....breath. Slow down. Take each precious moment for all its worth.

2. Be proud of what you have achieved so far and who are becoming. It takes lifetimes to evolve and you are one step closer in this manifestation to your true soul.

3. Keep reminding yourself of the beauty thing! Our society views grey hair, wrinkles and sagging skin as weakness and old age. It isn’t. You are stronger now than you were at 21 in every sense of the word. Honour your journey and especially honour your flaws, as they are your perfections too.

4. Go after all those crazy adventures you still want to have. Make peace with what you need to do to have them. This is your one, special life Helen. Live it.

5. Be grateful. Live with a positive heart. Be open. Love. Forgive. Never regret. Be kind to others. Be gentle to yourself. Start and end everyday with a smile. Love and respect all creatures you share this world with, they want life too. Breath deeply and drink in all the moments, they are yours, and you are theirs. Above all ❤️